brooks



(No Model.) 2 Shee t ;SSheet 1. E. J. BROOKS.

SEAL.

No. 320,904. PatentedJune 23, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

E. J. BROOKS.

SEAL. N0. 320,904. Patented June 23, 1885.

Mar a) [OW/4R0 (A 5190mm, 13y ko's'floriuy 1 N. PETERS. Phuwumu n mr, Washlnglnn. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT rFicE.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JEEsEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J. EEooKs & 00., OF NEW YORK, n. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,904, dated June 23, 1885,

Application filed May 20, 1885.

To 0. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New J ersey,'have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, (B 2,) of which the followingis aspecification.

This invention is additional to those of my improvements in press -fastened seals for securing the doors of railway freight-cars and for analogous uses, set forth in the following United States Patents, viz: N 0. 161,47 5, dated March 30, 1875; No. 179,260, dated June 27, 1876; No. 192,735, dated July 3, 1877; No. 298,665, dated May 13, 1884; and N 0. 304,164, dated August 26, 1884, particularly the latter.

The present invention consists, primarily, in the combination,with aseal-disk, of a flexible shackle of hard or ordinary round or flat wire or cable-wire, having each or either of its ends provided with a soft-metal securer cast fast thereon and serving to receive the fastening compression, with added facility and security against being tampered with, while the hard bow or body of the shackle may be of relatively cheap iron wire, and at the same time coacts with a pair of staples or the like more efficiently than soft wire would.

The present invention consists, further, in the combination of a shackle having each or either end provided with such a soft-metal securer cast fast upon a portion of the body-wire provided with an anchoring device to prevent withdrawal or stripping, and a hard or brittle seal-disk, preferably of transparent glass, having a threading-hole to receive the securer, or each of them, if there be two, and provision for stopping within the seal-disk a portion of the securer containing said anchoring device, so as to prevent access to the latter by cutting, the protruding end of the securer being expanded by pressing to prevent escape backward; also, in the combination of parts last named with the securer, or each of them, if there be two, cast fast on the shackle end, so that the extremity of the latter is located within the seal-disk to prevent splicing a securer should it be severed in tampering with a fastened seal; also, in the combination of a sealdisk having a pair of threading-holes and a flexible shackle having on each end a softnietal securer, with means for preventing the its seal-disk of plaster,

(N0 model.)

passage of the latter entirely through the sealdisk, the protruding end of one of said so curers being expanded by pressing so as to preclude escape backward to preliminarily unite the parts, and that of the other adaptedto be so pressed to fasten the seal, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of these drawings is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a sectionized elevation of the flexible shackle of that one of my improved seals which I select for specific claims. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of this seal, with 6 its transparent glass seal-disk preliminarily united with said shackle, and the latter applied to a pair of car-door staples and adjusted for the final fastening operation, and Fig. 4 is a sectionized face view thereof fastened. Fig. 5 is a sectionized face View of another seal, with its parts preliminarily united and adjusted for the final fastening operation, and Fig. 6 is a top view of illustrating certain modifications. Fig. 7 is a sectionized face view of another seal with its parts preliminarily united and ready to be fastened, and Fig. 8 is a top view of its seal-disk of pottery, illustrating additional modifications. Fig. 9 is 8c a sectionized elevation of another shackle, illustrating another modification of the same invention. Fig. 10' represents a sectionized face view of a fastened one-part seal, having a seal-disk of type-metal, illustrating additional modifications. Fig. 11 is a sectionized elevationof another shackle. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the same combined with a soft-metal seal disk and adjusted ready for fastening. Fig. 13 is a face view of 0 the seal shown in Fig. 12 fastened. Fig. 13 represents a section on the line 00 90, Fig. 13. Fig. 14 is a face view of a seal composed of said shackle shown in'Fig. 11 and a sheetmetal seal-disk ready for fastening. Fig. 15 is a face view of the same fastened, and Fig. 15 represents a section on the line y 3 Fig.

15, illustrating additional modifications of the same invention, and Fig. 16 is a sectionized elevation of another shackle illustrating sub- 10o modifications. I

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the respective-series of figures.

I11 each of the several seals represented on the drawings there is a flexible shackle, S, of hard wire, preferably iron, provided at one or each end with a soft-metal securer, 8, preferably of lead, cast fast thereon, and a seal-disk, D, having a threading-hole, h, corresponding with such securer or with each of them, if there be two, and adapted to admit the same, so that the securer may be expandcdlaterally by pressing it below the seal-disk or a portion thereof in the act of fastening the seal or preliminary thereto. The seal-disk is preferably of transparent glass, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to expose to view those portions .of the securers within it, the protruding ends of the latter being pressed to prevent their escape backward; but itmay be of plaster, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6,

' pottery or the like, as represented in Figs. 7

and 8, type-metal or other hard or brittle metal, as represented in Fig. 10, lead or other soft metal, as represented in Figs. 12, 13,13, or brass or other sheet metal, as represented in Figs. 14, 15, 15*", as regards the aforesaid primary combination of parts.

Another feature common to all said seals is the provision of the shackle-wirewith anchoring devices a or b or c embedded in the securers in casting the latter, and so located that they hold in portions of the securers, which are not pressed, and which can be and are inclosed, so as to prevent dislodging them by cutting open the soft metal; and, excepting the shackle represented by Fig. 9, the extremity of the shacklewire in each case extends into the securer only far enough to give the anchoring device a secure hold, and its extremities are thus located above a given line in the depending securers, so that should a securer be severed in tampering therewith this must be at a point below the extremity, and consequently so that the securer cannot be spliced by means of the wire to hide the violation of the seal. (See Figs. 4, 5, 7, 10,-11, and 16.)

AB,Figs.3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15,represent pairs of car-door staples, to which the respective seals are appliedby way of illustration. The hard-wire bows of the shackles coact directly therewith with the requisite strength and durability, and the fastened seals prevent opening the doors without detection.

In said seal represented by Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the shackles is of single round wire with simple bends a at its extremities as anchoring devices, upon which a pair of securers, s, are cast fast, the wire extending into each securer only far enough to strongly embed the bend, as aforesaid, as seen in Figs. 2 and 4. The securers are cy1indrical,and to stop thein within the glass seal-disk D of the seal, so that the latter shall protect the anchoring devices and therewith the extremitiesof the wire as aforesaid. The shackle-wire is constructed with stop-coils d, such as are set forth in said Patent No. 192,735, adapted to coact with the walls of the threading-holes h, the latter being tapering, and solocated with reference to the extremities of the wire as to keep the latter above the lower edge of the seal-disk, as best seen in Fig. 4. Said stop-coils or equivalent stops may be adapted to engage instead with the upper edge of 'the seal'disk, at shown'in said Patent No. 192,735. The glass seal-disk is molded with distinguishing lettering and a number in cameo characters on its face (P. R. R, 50,) to indicate the road using it and the station at which it is applied; and the protruding ends of the securers are stamped with corresponding numbers in presQlng them flat to expand them below the seal-disk, as aforesaid. When so pressed, they cannot be drawn backward into the seal-disk, and either secured shackle endcan only be released by cutting off the pressed end of the securer or breaking the seal-disk, either of which precludes hiding the act. [0 facilitate handling the seal in applying it, one securer is inserted and, preliminarily pressed, as represented by Fig. 3. After the seal is applied to the car-door staples A B, or in like manner, the other securer is inserted as shown in the figure. Finally the protruding end of the secured securer .is pressed, and the seal then becomes fastened, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the seal represented by Figs. 5 and 6, a smaller seal-disk, D, of plaster, byway of illustration, is employed, having apair' of threading-holes, h, and the shackle S differs from the one just described in being without said stopcoils, cl, and in having tapering securers s, which themselves coact with the tapering threading-holes to prevent drawing the securers through, so as to expose their anchoring devices, and the extremities of the shackle-wire below the seal-disk. The seal is fastened by pressing the protruding end of the securer, (shown partly in section,) the the other having been preliminarily pressed to facilitate handling.

In the seal represented by Figs. 7 and 8, the seal-disk D, of pottery is molded with a pair of shouldered threading-holes, h, and the securers s are molded with corresponding stopheads to prevent drawing them through the seal-disk. They are prevented from escape backward by pressing their protruding lower ends, as in the seals already described. The shackle S of this seal, Figs. 7 and 8, is of my detector -wire, set forth in said Patent No. 179,260, its permanent indentations forming said anchoring devices I).

In said seal, Figs. 7 and 8, or one having a seal-disk of like construction of any material, the shackle wire may extend completely through the securer, as represented by Fig. 9, a suflicient length thereof in each securer being inclosed in the seal-disk to prevent releasing it by cutting, and the thinness of the pressed ends being relied on against splicing. The securers 8 shown in this figure are cast upon detector indentation anchoring devices b.

In the one-part seal represented by Fig. 10, the seal-disk D of type-metal is cast fast on one end 6 of the shackle S, this end being provided with detectorindentation anchoring devices or any approved substitute therefor, while the other shackle-end has a tapering securer s, fitted to a tapering threading-hole h in the seal disk, and pressed at the fastening operation, as represented in the figure.

In the modifications represented by Figs. 11 to 15*, inclusive, the shackle S has a securer 8 cast fast on each extremity, with the latter and its anchoring device a, Fig. 11, inclosed by a protector-sleeve, f, of perforated sheet metal cast fast on the securer, so as to protect the securer against the release of the anchoring device by cutting and against splicing, as in these modifications those ends of the securers which contain the anchoring devices do not enter the seal-disks. The unpressed seal-disk D, of lead, (shown in Fig. 12,) is constructed under said Patents No. 16 l,47 5 and No. 298,665. This cross-wire construction is preferred, but the improved shackle may be combined with other soft-metal seal-disksinlike manner.

In pressing such seals the greatest compression is preferably located at or near the perimeter of the sealdisk, as represented in Figs.

13 and 13, which show the pressed seal to prevent cracking the sealdisk and to form effective enlargements on the securers within the seal-disk. The threadingholes h h of the unpressed sheet-metal seal-disk, (shown in Fig. 14,) are formed partly by raised loops 9 g, which are flattened down and indented in the pressing-operation together with those portions of the securers 8 within the area of pressure, as represented in Figs. 15 and 15 In each of these forms of seal it will be observed, like those before described, the soft-metal securers are expanded laterally in the pressingoperation, so as to prevent their escape from the sealdisk, while those portions of the securers containing the protected anchoring devices are not pressed.

The shackle S, Fig. 16, is provided with a pair of tapering securers s 8 adapted to stop themselves in proper position within the threading-holes ofsuch seal-disks as those represented in Figs. 12 and 14; and its anchoring devices 0 are formed by my detector enlargements set forth in said Patent No. 192,735.

Flat wire,or narrow strips of sheet metal as its equivalent, may be used instead of round wire in the shackles represented in Figs. 5, and 11 to 16; and cable wire may be used in stead of indented wire in shackles of the construction represented in Figs. 7 and 9, but the indented wire is preferred as more secure againstbeing tampered with. Thestops formed by the larger ends of the securers shown in Figs. 5, 7, 9, and 10 are considered mechanical equivalents of the stop-coils, shown in Figs. 1 to 4:.

Having thus described my said improvement in seals, (B 2,) I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification-- 1. In combination with a seal-disk having a threading-hole or threading-holes, a flexible shackle of hard wire, having each or either of its ends provided with a soft-metal securer cast fast thereon and expanded laterally by pressing, to fasten the seal, substantially as herein specified.

2. The combination, substantially as herein specified, of a hard or brittle seal-disk, preferably of transparent glass, having a threadinghole or threading holes extending therethrough, and a flexible shackle of hard wire, having each or either of its ends provided with an anchoring device, a soft-metal securer cast fast thereon, and a stop which prevents the passage through the seal-disk of aportion of the securer containing said anchoring device, the protruding end of the securer being expanded by pressing, to prevent escape backward, whereby access to the anchoring device by cutting is prevented, in the manner set forth.

3. The combination, substantially as herein specified, of a hard or brittle seal-disk having a threading-hole or threading-holes andaflexible shackle of hard wire having each or either of its ends embedded in a soft-metal securer cast fast thereon and a stop which prevents the passage through the seal-disk of that portion of the securer containing the extremity of the wire, the protruding end of the securer being expanded by pressing to prevent escape backward,whereby splicing a severed securer is prevented, in the manner set forth.

4. The combination of a hard or brittle sealdisk having a pair of threading-holes, and a flexible sh acklc of hard wire, having both ends provided with soft-metal securers, and stops to prevent their passage fully through the sealdisk, the protruding end of one securer being inserted in the seal-disk and its protruding end pressed to preliminarily unite the parts, and the other adapted to be so insert-ed and pressed to fasten the seal, substantially as herein specified.

EDWVARD J. BROOKS.

WVitnesses:

JAMES E. HALLEY, HENRY L. C. WENK. 

